793.94/1918a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Neville)
175. This afternoon I had a talk with Debuchi, in the course of which I said to him that at the present moment our great difficulty lay in the fact that the Department had no adequate information from American representatives regarding the Manchurian situation. With the Consul General at Mukden absent, only a Vice Consul is there. I explained to Debuchi that I must have authentic, full information on the situation in order to answer questions adequately. I told him I should like the Consul General at Harbin, Mr. Hanson, who has long been in and is familiar with Manchuria, to proceed to Mukden and to other places occupied by Japanese troops and to report to me, and I should like Mr. Salisbury of the Tokyo Embassy to join him. The Ambassador responded that he would telegraph immediately to the Foreign Minister and urge that this should be done, once more emphasizing the American Government’s friendly attitude. Debuchi remarked that it would not be an international investigation and that under these circumstances it would appear to be most natural for the American Embassy to request that a member of its staff be allowed to visit Manchuria. Accordingly, I should be glad for you to request Baron Shidehara for permission to send Salisbury there to obtain information for you. You might at the same time tell Shidehara that we wish Hanson to join Salisbury in Manchuria and that it is your hope the Japanese authorities will afford all facilities to Hanson and Salisbury to look into the situation. As to this request you may tell Shidehara there will be no publicity, and it may well be regarded as a routine measure, since there is no trained officer of ours in Mukden at present to report.
Before you see Shidehara, it is important that he receive Debuchi’s telegram, but Debuchi promised to send it immediately and to urge the granting of facilities. If this is to be done, it should be done very promptly.